Piles for marine structures



Aug. 4, 1959 F, R HARRB 2,997,654

PILES FOR MARINE STRUCTURES Original Filed April 22, 1949 ATTORNEYUnited States Patent PILES FR STRUCTURES Frederic R. Harris, deceased,late of New York, N.Y.,

by Michael S. Lobenthal, Lawrence, and Monroe Percy Bloch and FlorenceB. Downs, New York, N.Y., executors, assignors to Frederic R. Harris,Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Original applicationApril 22, 1949, Serial No. 89,002. Divided and this application February8, 1951, Serial No. 210,074

1 Claim. (Cl. 61-53) This invention is an improved pile for erecting andsupporting structures in water; especially platforms, towers andequipment to drill for oil in the earth under the water; and other uses.

An important object of this invention is to provide a pile capable ofsupporting heavy and uneven loads above the surface of the water, andresisting wind and wave action; easy to set up and anchor securely inplace.

In its preferred embodiment the pile has the form of a hollow metalcolumn, constructed so that the upper portion is buoyant; hence the pilecan be submerged while virtually upright. The pile also has means forenabling it to be secured at its lower end in the bottom under thewater, and therefore it does not have to be driven into the bottom toembed the lower end into the wet earth. Thus much time and labor aresaved in the operation of getting fthe piles into position.

"Ihese and other objects and the nature and advantages of the inventionare set forth in the ensuing description; and one or more embodimentsare illustrated in the drawings. But the disclosure is by way of exampleonly and any alterations in fthe details of structure can be adoptedwithout deviation from the essential characteristics of the design asbroadly dened in the appended claim.

On the drawings:

Figure l is a side view partly in section of the body of a pileaccording to this invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the lower pant of said pile whenrst lowered to the bottom.

Figure 3 is a similar View showing said pile in linal anchored position,in final position on the bottom.

This application is a division of application Serial No. 89,002, forMethod and Apparatus for Erecting Structures in Water, filed April 22,1949, now Patent No. 2,775,095.

The body 1 of the pile is tubular. It can be floated to the spot whereit is to be installed, and then flooded to sink it.

The lower end of the pile, which has the form of a long hollow pipe, isexpanded to make an enlarged conical head 2, and in its outer end thishead has a large opening 3 which is closed by a plug 4. The top of thebody 1 bears a cover 5, which is of course removable. Within 2,897,654Patented Aug. 4, 1959 the pile is a transverse partition 6, below whichis an air vent cock 7. The pile, being hollow, will iloat in ahorizontal position, when lowered into the water with the plug 4 andcover 5 tight. When itis desired to sink it, the plug 4 is removed sothat water can enter into the lower end of the body and lill theinterior space up to the partition 6. The lower part of the pile willthus be overweighted, while the upper end remains buoyant, so that itcan be submerged in vertical position. The valve 7 is opened when theplug 4 is removed to let out the air.

The pile also has one or more pipe lines 8 therein which extend from thehead 2 through the partition 6 and the top cover 5. :The upper ends ofthese lines can be capped when the pile is submerged, and later uncappedand coupled to water pumps; so that when the lower end of the pilereaches bottom 9, water can be forced through the pipes 8 to excavatethe bottom and allow the head 2 to sink to some depth. When the head 2rests rrnly on the bottom, liquid concrete in 'the form of grout or insuch state as to be suitable for tremie pouring, is supplied underpressure to the pipes 8 to accumulate in a mass 10 in and around thehead 2; and when this concrete sets, the pile has its own foundation andis anchored securely. They can be maintained upright or tilted, asindicated on Figures 2 and 3. The water above the bottom is indicated at11. The part of the body 1 between the partition 6 and cover 5constitutes a buoyancy member by means of which the one end of the pileis kept uppermost when the other end with the head 2 is submerged.

Having described the invention, what is believed to be new 1s:

A hollow elongated pile to be set up in water, said pile having its oneend to be uppermost closed, and a transverse partition forming with thepile adjacent said end a closed buoyant air chamber, the other end ofthe pile having a large head with an opening and a removable plug in theopening to exclude water, and one or more pipes extending through thefirst-named end and said chamber and partition to said opening, the pilehaving a vent outside said chamber in one side of said pile adjacentsaid partition on the side thereof towards said head.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS676,993 McFadden June 25, 1901 1,048,194 Mitchell Dec. 24, 19121,718,006 Reno .lune 18, 1929 2,171,672 Plummer Sept. 5, 1939 2,248,051Armstrong July 8, 1941 2,318,685 Gross May 11, 1943 2,589,146 SamuelsonMar. l1, 1952 2,607,198 Parks Aug. 19, 1952 2,637,172 Howard May 5, 19532,687,017l Gerwick Aug. 24, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 708,148 France Apr. 27,1931

